In Home Supportive Services

What is In-Home Supportive Services?

In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) is a State program under the direction of the California Department of Social Services. IHSS provides assistance to eligible individuals who are aged, blind, and/or disabled, who would be unable to remain safely in their own homes without assistance. IHSS is an alternative to out-of-home care, such as a nursing home or a board and care facility.

The Calaveras County Health and Services Agency is committed to providing services to eligible individuals to assist them in living independently in the least restrictive environment.

In an effort to assist eligible individuals to remain safely within their homes, the IHSS program is staffed with social workers trained to assess eligible individual’s needs to receive assistance with completing activities of daily living.

Eligibility Criteria for all IHSS Applicants and Recipients:

• You must physically reside in the United States
• You must also be a California resident
• You must have a Medi-Cal eligibility determination
• You must live at home or an abode of your own choosing (acute care hospital, long-term care facility and licensed community care facilities are not considered “own home”)
• You must submit a completed Health Care Certification form from a Physician authorizing services

Anyone who recognizes that a person is in need of in-home assistance may make a referral to IHSS . Once the requirements for the Health Care Certification and Medi-Cal eligibility are met a social worker is assigned to the case to conduct an assessment of need.  The determination will take into consideration the applicant’s medical condition, living arrangement, persons living in the home and resources that may already be available.

Once the needs assessment is authorized, IHSS can assist a recipient with finding a caregiver.  A friend or relative may serve as a caregiver, or a referral may be made through the Public Authority Registry.  Once a caregiver is selected, the client acts as the employer and is responsible for supervision and signing of time sheets.

Working together, IHSS and the caregiver ensure that each recipient is able to remain in their home safely, comfortable and with as much independence as possible.

The IHSS program
provides services to
eligible people over the
age of 65, the blind
and/or disabled.

The goal of the IHSS program is to allow
you to live safely in your own home and
avoid the need for out of home care.
Services almost always need to be
provided in your own home. This could
be a house, apartment, hotel, or the
home of a relative.

If you receive Supplemental Security
Income (SSI) or meet all Medi-Cal income
eligibility requirements, you may be
able to receive IHSS services. IHSS is a
Medi-Cal program and is funded by
federal, state, and county dollars.

These are the types of services IHSS can
provide:

• Personal care services like dressing,
bathing, feeding, toileting
• Paramedical services like helping with
injections, wound care, colostomy and
catheter care under the direction of a
licensed medical professional
• House cleaning
• Cooking
• Shopping
• Laundry
• Accompaniment to and from medical
appointments

Some of the things IHSS cannot pay for
include:
• Moving furniture
• Paying bills
• Reading mail to you
• Caring for pets, including service
animals
• Gardening
• Repair services
• Sitting with you to visit or watch TV
• Taking you on social outings
• Waiting for you in the doctor’s office

1. How to Apply

Contact the In-Home Supportive
Services program in your county.
A county representative will ask you
questions to gather information about
the nature of your disability, things
that you need help with, your income,
and assets. This may take up to
20 minutes.

2. Home Visit
A social worker will come to your home
to determine the types of authorized
services that you need and the number
of hours for each service. Some of the
things the county will consider are your
medical condition, living arrangement,
and any resources that may already be
available.

3. Health Care Certification Form

You will receive a form for your doctor
to complete, certifying your need for
IHSS. This form must be completed
before services can be authorized.

4. Authorization

The county will send you a Notice of
Action (NOA) telling you if you have
been approved for IHSS. The NOA
will specify what services have been
approved, how much time is authorized
for each service, and how many total
monthly hours have been approved